


A Wild Rose

by BelleDreamer



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 22:25:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17455427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleDreamer/pseuds/BelleDreamer
Summary: A piece of fluff between Inquisitor Adaar and The Iron Bull. His impressions of a wild mage in Thedas and how a curious meeting evolved into an intense, passionate romance.





	A Wild Rose

**Author's Note:**

> I adore The Iron Bull, part of that is because I wanted to have my way with James Vega in Mass Effect 3 and Freddie Prince Jr did a fantastic job with both. This has been sitting on my computer for too long, it needs to be free.

~*~

 

            Bull's eyes lingered on her when she first approached. She was younger than him, but grown. She held herself relaxed, the weight of the staff on her back was perfect, she knew how to use it. Trained mage. Her eyes were cautious, she studied him as quickly as he studied her, but her eyes were not searching for minutia as his was, she was assessing a threat. Her horns twisted like halla's but were straight and strong. One of her parents was of the craftsmen, most likely a dancer, artisan who left, less likely to be a danger.

            When he told her the truth fire raged in her eyes, she knew the term Ben-hassrath and she found it offensive. Then again, born of two Tal-Vashoth, she was probably taught to hate him as soon as she could learn to tell the danger from another of their kin. It was close, but the benefit of his Qunari contacts was enough to make her accept them. She watched them carefully, her eyes lingering on Krem long enough for Bull to peg that she knew the truth of Krem under his armor. She didn't say anything, earning her a bit of Bull's respect before she turned and led them to Haven.

 

~*~

 

            He wasn't surprised when she came to his tent, she had worked with Tal-Vashoth, he was not like them and it was clear she knew that. He caught a few of her letters to her old mercenary group. They were a group he had been told to look after if he got the chance. They weren't violent, they found their Antaam training useful as mercenaries without being harmful. Benign but to be watched.

            Still, she asked questions, he saw the look in her eyes when she asked the marriage question. He wondered about her parents, but did not ask. She spoke enough to Sera in the bar, he just needed to wait. Soon enough he heard the stories.

            Her mother was one of the artisan class, a dancer and singer. Her father was an architect and builder. They had met at the construction of one of Seheron's art centers. They had spoken, become friends, and then lovers. They had known they would never be allowed to maintain such a relationship and when it came down to the Qun or each other, they chose love. When she said the word love, Bull saw the glimpse of the girl she must have been, staring at her mother telling the tale as only an artisan could.

            He heard the story of their escape, told by her, but clearly a story memorized from the lips of a story spinner. They used a Tal-Vashoth attack to sneak from the city, then slipped to the boarder, snuck onto the mainland, and found a Chantry. They converted readily and wed. They were hidden and slipped to the south where they could buy a farm and grow their family.

            The family she came from was large, several children and she was one of the oldest. Two elder brothers, twins, a rare trait, four younger sisters, and three more younger brothers. None of the others held magic so she was the only one given to mercenaries. Surprising, but then her parents were not of the Antaam. The eldest two kept the farm with the parents, one married the other courting. One of the sisters was taking her vows to the Chantry...a Qunari Sister would make many pause. Another was training to be a bard, taking after the mother with skills in singing and tale telling. The eldest of the younger brothers had chosen the sea and was off fishing with a crew on the Waking Sea. The two youngest females and two youngest males were still young and remained with the parents.

            Bull was surprised when he discovered she was forced by her parents into the mercenary group. They would not let her go to the Chantry. Most Qunari were terrified by magic, but they had not been, perhaps seeing it was their daughter, the child of their love, they could not give her up to the religion that would cage her even if it freed them. The father brought her to the mercenaries, found them honorable, and told his daughter she would always be welcomed home should she need it.

            She learned her magic with Tal-Vashoth, but honed it with Chantry teachings. She would serve and not rule over. She was not comfortable with her role as Herald.

 

~*~

 

            Watching her fight the dragon made him harder than he thought possible. The dragon breathed fire and she had put up a barrier before throwing ice down the dragon's throat. She faced it with a serious face, showing no hesitation as she faced down the beast whose horns she shared. Bull had never had a fight so thrilling. Watching her wave her staff around her was exhilarating but even better was as the giant beast let out its last breath, she lay a hand on its cheek and whispered an honest thanks. Respecting such a foe for a battle that awe-inspiring. Bull respected that and her more each battle.

            Still when Haven fell, his heart was in his throat with the realization that she may not come back. The Herald gone. The last battle and her lost in the avalanche. He wanted to mourn her, but Krem and the others still needed him. He was not Andrastrian, so there was no one for him to pray to. So he prayed to "whoever would listen" and hoped she would return. When her figure staggered to the top of the mountain above their hiding spot, Bull was thankful all eyes turned to looked at the horned figure, missing the nod of thanks he gave the sky.

 

~*~

 

            She was trying to win him over, asking about the Qun and himself. He liked it, it gave him a masculine push to be thrilled over when she came to him. He was surprised when she never asked the obvious question about the Qun. He broke and asked her if she wished to know where she would have been. She shocked him and told him she already knew. Saarabas. The word was poison on her tongue and Bull thought he had burned a bridge. Instead she smiled and told him that her parents rarely spoke of the Qun, but telling her of the Saarabas had encouraged her to join the mercenaries. Bull was impressed, even more impressed when she finished her flagon before leaving. He liked her, he would like her even better in his bed.

 

~*~

 

            He knew she would accept him into her bed that first time. Sitting on her bed, he was pleased to see her startled. It made him harder as he slipped up to her, pinning her arms up. She didn't fight, her eyes dilated, and she let him know the invitation was open. He had picked her up, a little heavier than his usual human barmaid. Shoved her to the bed and kissed her.

            She had tasted of something sweet, berries perhaps, Red seemed to know she liked the small red berries from Ferelden and always managed to get some to Skyhold. She had struggled against his hand then, reaching for him and he had pulled back. Growling something at her before forcing her to hold the headboard. She had obeyed, making him harder as she stared up at him with those dragon-slaying eyes. He kissed her again, dominating her mouth, and when he pulled away she had followed with hungry lips.

            She hadn't ridden the Bull, he had ridden her, making her cry his name multiple times again and again. It had been fantastic and it had weakened his legs, but she had finally collapsed first. He had been panting harder than he thought he would. He covered her with a blanket or two before ensuring she rested the rest of the night in peace.

 

~*~

 

            Bull wanted to weep and pledge himself to her when she chose the Chargers over the Qunari. He was lost for a day or two until Varric pointed out how much she was worrying about him. He was Tal-Vashoth, but she...she was the product of Tal-Vashoth and she was the best thing in the world.

 

~*~

 

            Their tumbles and moments of pleasure were sometimes quick, that time on the war table. Other times their tumbles were long and lasting. The first time he tired her to the bed he had felt her magic swirl around them, but she never said the word, even as they worked together for longer than he thought he could ever last.

            It wasn't until the time she had passed out and he laid beside her, when she snuggled against his chest, the base of her horns brushed his chest, and his groin clenched in time with his heart. He began to wonder.

 

~*~

 

            The moment she gave him the dragon tooth, the wind was knocked out of him. She wore hers always and he knew. He didn't look twice at the barmaids, he didn't notice the soldiers, his eye was only for her. He began to make new discoveries all the time.

            She whistled old Qunari songs but didn't know the words, a habit from her mother perhaps. She doodled on her reports, often dragons, sometimes griffons, usually fantastic animals. She polished her horns weekly. She bathed using Andraste's Grace petals for scent.

            For a kick he gave her cocoa and her eyes grew large and joyous. Varric would be in trouble now.

           

~*~

 

            Kadan. His Kadan.

 

~*~

 

            She was evil, teasing him about marriage, but he knew the truth. She deserved to be a bride. He would not lose her to an elven goddess. His bride.

 

~*~

 

            She survived, he survived. The night of the celebration she called him Kadan.

 

~*~

 

            He was not suited for much, but her replacement left hand, that he could do. She was the retired Inquisitor, advising the Divine from Skyhold while the Inquisition served as the Divine's personal force. She was indisposed often, Varric helped with the timing, and Bull couldn't complain about the results. She was one in ten, he could do better and he did. Eight sons and seven daughters kept her close to Skyhold for a quarter of a century. She was often visited for her wisdom and aid. More often than not either swollen with child or caring a swaddled babe.

            Bull's favorite gift was a painting commissioned by Divine Victoria, depicting the former Inquisitor sitting upon her throne, Bull and Varric flanking her. She was swollen to bursting with child and her face and eyes turned to Bull as his was to her. Utterly romantic and embarrassing. His Kadan could not refuse a gift, especially since she was owed after getting Varric to write a few sequels for the Divine. She even aided in the fight against their former companion.

            It was a thrill to fight for her where she could not, but it was more thrilling to reside in their chambers, teaching their children how to best Cullen in a game of chess. To see her shoot him those loving looks that told him once the children were in bed, there were more interesting things for them to do with each other.   


End file.
